Chelation removes heavy metals from the body and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating acute heavy metal poisoning, but not for treating autism. Some people who believe autism is caused by a mercury-containing preservative once used in vaccines say chelation may also help autistic children.

A plethora of blog pages and bandwidth have been devoted to the general issue of chelation and autism. I will simply note for the record that there is no peer-reviewed clinical trial evidence that chelation therapy is an effective treatment for autism.
This particular case has been covered ad nauseum by physician bloggers like Orac (at his old site and more recently) and Dr. RW. (The CaseWatch offshoot of Quackwatch also details the legal case itself.).

In fact, CDC officials reviewing this case included it in their publication (as case #2) in the journal, Pediatrics, detailing three deaths caused by hypocalcemia secondary to docs using the wrong form of the chelating agent (EDTA) that would otherwise be used for acute heavy metal poisoning. Dr. RW noted that not only is chelation not indicated for autism, but only one form of EDTA is intended for acute heavy metal intoxication (the calcium-disodium salt of EDTA). Acute heavy metal poisoning is the kind that occurs, for example, when bridge workers sandblast away old lead paint and inhale the particles. That is a medically approved indication for chelation therapy.

Anyway, it appears from published reports that Dr Kerry instead used the disodium salt of EDTA, which would sequester calcium in the body to the point that heart muscle (highly dependent on calcium) can no longer contract and dies.

The “wrong” drug. Tariq was referred to Kerry for chelation with CaNa2EDTA. (Pace Orac. This was also the “wrong” drug but it was less wrong than Endrate.)
The wrong dose. He used a 50 per cent saline solution instead of a 3 per cent solution.
The wrong delivery method. A 5 to 10 minute IV push instead of a three hour infusion.
And he did this three times before Tariq died, in the full knowledge of lab reports that showed that Tariq had levels within the normal reference range for lead.